- Ben Stein is kind of an amoral douchebag, isn’t he? The rich are different, at least in his head; when they commit rape, it isn’t rape. More here.[via]
- There’s a lot John McCain doesn’t understand, but I’d say he probably has a good handle on torture. Rick Santorum is an idiot. [via]
- It’s not often you hear someone in Hollywood blame their sobriety for inappropriate behavior. Lars von Trier is ahead of the curve.
- High schooler challenges Michelle Bachmann to debate on U.S. Constitution. It’ll never happen, but my money’s on the high school girl. Hell, in a debate on the Constitution with Bachmann, my money would be on a potted plant. Bachmann supporters have, of course, responded with typical grace and tact. [via]
- And finally, it’s okay to be Takei. [via]
news
Wednesday various
- The AV Club on Priest:
It’s as if the filmmakers realize they’re wasting everyone’s time, so they at least want to take up as little of it as possible.
- German TV reveals that Osama Bin Laden was killed by Star Trek rebels.
- Meanwhile, Teacher who vowed not to shave until bin Laden was caught or killed finally shaves. [via]
- Guy who created Mike Tyson’s tattoo suing to stop release of The Hangover Part II.
- And finally, I haven’t watched it regularly in years, if ever, but I’m still a little sad to hear that Good Eats is ending. [via]
Monday various
- You Can Now Whore Yourself Out by Tagging Products and Corporate Pages on Facebook. Because of course you can. [via]
- Lady Gaga to debut new songs on Farmville. Because of course she is. [via]
- Sarah Palin and other Republicans upset that rapper Common was invited to the White House. Because of course they are. (Although, seriously? Common?)
- FCC Commissioner Takes Job At Comcast Months After She Voted To Approve Its Deal With NBC Universal. Because of course she did. [via]
- Facebook reportedly paid to smear Google. Because of course they (allegedly) did. [via]
- And finally, because of course it is, Starbuck and Starbuck drinks [sic] Starbucks at Starbucks. [via]
Thursday various
- Is a jail in South Carolina denying prisoners any books except the Bible? [via]
- New York under siege by Will Smith’s ridiculously huge trailer. More, with video of the trailer in (in)action here. It’s not in my neck of the Manhattan woods, fortunately or unfortunately.
- I’ve mentioned before that WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show has recently started posting short exit questionnaires with guests. This week, there’s one with actor Tom Wopat, who says the “one thing [he’s] a fan of that people might not expect” is bluegrass. Tom Wopat, star of The Dukes of Hazzard, is a fan of bluegrass. Yeah, color me shocked.
- Forget what I said here, though. UK book sales have sprung back from an eight-year (Royal Wedding-caused?) low.
- And finally, Ken Jennings makes the bold claim that the criminal activities depicted in Scooby-Doo don’t make real-world sense.
Wednesday various
- A lie can make it half way around the world before the truth has time to put its boots on. Mark Twain probably didn’t say that. Anatomy of a Fake Quotation [via]
- World’s Biggest Pac-Man [via]
- The sad final end of former Attack of the 50 Foot Woman star Yvonne Vickers [via]
- A Rare Look at Antarctica, 1911-1914 [via]
- And finally, No Country for Old Men cartoon trailer [via]: